Tottenham to emulate the Total Football of the 1974 Dutch team
Tottenham to emulate the Total Football of the 1974 Dutch team
Morning folks and another original piece for you today because what Ange Postecoglou is trying to achieve is the 'Total Football' of the 1974 Dutch team, something plenty of us will remember.
But first, another toxic window is over where many showed their true colours, conditional support to their terms only instead of unconditional support, the kind that achieves success.
I'm glad it is over and we can concentrate on the football and the really exciting project that Daniel Levy is taking us upon through his bold appointment of Australian coach Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs Incomings on Deadline Day
- Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest)
Spurs Outgoings on Deadline Day
- Sergio Reguilon (Spurs to Manchester United on a season-long loan)
- Japhet Tanganga (Spurs to Augsburg on a season-long loan)
Full list of Spurs signings
- Pedro Porro (Sporting Lisbon for £40m)
- Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus for £25.5m)
- Guglielmo Vicario (FC Empoli for £17m)
- James Maddison (Leicester City for £40m)
- Manor Solomon (Shakhtar Donetsk free)
- Ashley Phillips (Blackburn Rovers for £2m)
- Micky van de Ven (VfL Wolfsburg for £43m)
- Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central for £13m)
- Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest)
Every player to leave Tottenham this summer
- Harry Winks (Leicester City for £10m)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich for £100m)
- Joe Rodon (Leeds United on a season-long loan)
- Troy Parrot (Excelsior Rotterdam on a season-long loan)
- Alfie Devine (Port Vale on a season-long loan)
- Djed Spence (Leeds United on a season-long loan)
- Dane Scarlett (Ipswich Town on a season-long loan)
- Sergio Reguilon (Manchester United on a season-long loan)
- Japhet Tanganga (Augsburg on a season-long loan)
- Lucas Moura (Released)
- Arnaut Danjuma (Released after loan from Villarreal)
- Clement Lenglet (Released after loan from Barcelona)
Now that lot is quite a busy window and it will take more to get the squad re-fitted for fluid, interchanging of positions attacking football or 'Total Football' as we saw from the Dutch in 1974.
So what type of player is needed to play this bold system, which Postecoglou believes will be the future of football (which rather goes to show how advanced the Dutch team of 1974 were).
Now, before we get into the Dutch 'Total Football', recent article have looked at a comparison with Bill Nicholson and The Scorpions 'Wind of Change' anthem.
Total Football
Playing "Total Football" requires a combination of technical, tactical, and mental abilities from each player.
Total Football is characterized by fluid positional interchange, collective movement, and a strong emphasis on both attacking and defending as a cohesive unit.
The key abilities that players must possess are:
Technical Proficiency
- Exceptional ball control: Players should be comfortable receiving and controlling the ball under pressure, even in tight spaces as we see Bissouma do.
- Accurate passing: Precise short and long-range passing is essential for maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities.
- Dribbling skills: The ability to take on opponents one-on-one and dribble effectively is crucial for breaking down defenses.
- Versatile ball-handling: Players must be proficient with both feet to seamlessly adapt to different positions on the field.
Intelligence and Game Understanding
- Tactical awareness: Understanding the team's tactical principles, such as spacing, pressing, and positional play, is essential.
- Decision-making: Players should make quick, intelligent decisions regarding passing, positioning, and movement.
- Adaptability: Being able to switch positions and roles on the field as the situation demands is a hallmark of Total Football.
Movement and Positioning
- Off-the-ball movement: Players must constantly read the game and make intelligent runs to create space for themselves and teammates. This is what we were not doing against Fulham for large parts of the game and you saw the result.
- Positional discipline: While Total Football allows for interchangeability, players still need to maintain a basic structure to avoid leaving gaps in the defence.
Work Rate and Pressing
- High work rate: Players should be willing to track back, defend, and press opponents when not in possession.
- Team pressing: Coordinated pressing to win the ball back collectively and quickly is a fundamental aspect of Total Football.
Communication
- Effective communication with teammates is crucial for coordinating movements and maintaining team shape, even when positions are interchanged.
Fitness and Stamina
- Total Football often requires players to cover a lot of ground, so good fitness and stamina levels are vital.
Mental Toughness
- Confidence: Belief in one's abilities and the team's style of play is essential for executing Total Football effectively.
- Resilience: Maintaining composure and adaptability, especially when facing adversity, is crucial.
- Emotional Control: Players need to control their emotions to manage anxiety levels, to remain calm, to make good decisions and play out from the back under pressure from a high press
Team Spirit
- Trust in teammates: Players must trust each other to cover for them when positions are swapped and to maintain defensive integrity.
- Unity: A strong sense of team cohesion and unity is necessary for Total Football to succeed.
Total Football is not just about individual skills; it's about the collective understanding and execution of a specific football philosophy.
This isn't something that happens overnight and everyone takes different speeds to learn the requirements, especially if some are getting the pressure of game time and others are not.
Against Fulham, we had a team that were thrown to the lions to see who could cope or had the potential to cope and who didn't, as well as simply giving people like Giovanni Lo Celso, Oliver Skipp or Emerson Royal game time.
It requires players to be adaptable, intelligent, and technically proficient, with a strong commitment to both attacking and defensive aspects of the game.
Successful implementation of Total Football demands not only individual talent but also a shared vision and commitment to the team's principles.
We are back to that total and utter belief in what you are doing, as you now all know, a trait of success.
COYS
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